The British Museum uses cookies to ensure you have the best browsing experience
and to help us improve the site.
By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to
our use of cookies. (Last updated: 12 January 2017)
Find out more

Collection online

painting / banner / 繪畫 / 幡

Object type

Museum number

1919,0101,0.100

Description

Painted banner with three scenes from the Life of the Buddha, in a landscape setting: the Five Companions in a thunder storm; Śākyamuni, emaciated and in meditation inside a rocky cave; and emerging from the Nairanjana River with the aid of a spirit. Blank cartouches on alternate sides of scenes. Ink and colours on silk.

Materials

Technique

Dimensions

Height: 69 centimetres

Width: 19.3 centimetres

Curator's comments

The scenes in this banner appear to follow after those of Pl.37. As in that banner, several episodes of Sākyamuni’s life are shown in a sparse landscape setting. At the top, the Five Companions are shown attempting to protect themselves from a thunderstorm, represented by a storm god within a ring of drums, supported on a purple cloud spiraling out of the distance near a high peak. The scene must represent the physical hardships undergone by Sākyamuni during his period of austerities; he himself is seen in the next episode, emaciated and seated in meditation in a rocky cave, with high crags on either side in a balanced composition. In front of the cave are two stags lying at ease. As Waley has suggested, these are also there to suggest the undisturbed nature of his retreat, and his own immobility. Lastly, the lowest scene shows Sākyamuni still emaciated and naked save for a loincloth, grasping a willow branch to emerge from the Nairañjanā River, with the aid of a spirit who appears above on a cloud.該幡的場景緊接那些37幡中場景。在此幡中幾個生活片斷被表現在一個稀疏的山水畫設置中。在頂部，五個男人企圖在雷雨中保護自己，雷雨由一個在鼓圈裏的雷神來代表，它源於遠處螺旋形昇起的一片紫雲。這個場景代表太子在他的修行期間其身體經歷的苦難。在下一個片段可以看到他自已，瘦骨嶙峋地坐在岩洞裏冥思，很高的懸崖分布在兩邊成爲一個平衡的構圖，洞穴的前面有兩只牡鹿很自在地躺著。正如Waley所指出的，這也暗示著他隱退之後沒有打擾自然，以及他自身的紋絲不動。最後，最下部的場景表現太子仍然很瘦弱而且只裹了一塊腰布，在一個雲端之上的神靈的幫助下，抓住柳條浮出了尼連禪河。

Acquisition date

Acquisition notes

Department

Registration number

Additional IDs

Front Painted banner with three scenes from the Life of the Buddha, in a landscape setting: the Five Companions in a thunder storm; Sakyamuni, emaciated and in meditation inside a rocky cave; and emerging from the Nairanjana River with the aid of a spirit. Blank cartouches on alternate sides of scenes. Ink and colours on silk.